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Author Topic: Dead lamb !!  (Read 2367 times)

m3joeEm

  • Joined Jan 2015
  • Northern Ireland
Dead lamb !!
« on: March 14, 2015, 11:28:46 am »
So I went out to the field this morning to find my oldest lamb (number 1) laying on its side dead in the creep feeder , they haven't been eating creep I just had the feeder out with straw in it for shelter if they wanted it. The lamb is over 3 weeks old and shows no signs of injury. It does look rather empty though. I just hope whatever happened it does not happen any more! It was doing well on the mother and had no issues or sicknesses since birth :/

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Dead lamb !!
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2015, 11:39:05 am »
Sorry to hear about your dead lamb  :bouquet:

If it was rather empty, do you think Mum may have been struggling to feed it?  And/or had mastitis or some reason she couldn't?   Was it one of a pair or a single?  How is Mum now?

If Mum wasn't by the lamb, perhaps she'd disowned it?

I have often found that with a ewe who has been reluctant to feed one or other of her lambs, so I brought her in and got it on her, kept her until she'd taken it, then put them out - that often, that lamb dies at a few weeks old.  Sometimes I think there must have been something wrong with it, that the mother knew about, and was why she didn't want it in the first place.  Sometimes I think she appears to be letting it suckle but is actually keeping it on short rations, so it isn't getting quite enough and eventually fails.  Sometimes a lamb like this is seen suckling other ewes - a sure sign it's not getting enough from its own mother.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

ScotsGirl

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • Wiltshire
Re: Dead lamb !!
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2015, 05:27:44 pm »
Really sad when this happens. I lost a triplet like that last year. Looked like mum was managing them all then after a week it became obvious that one was struggling and a few days later it was dead.


This year as triplet mum (different ewe) had a rough time, I bottled tiny lamb for a coupke of days until strong enough to suckle then left her a couple of days. Thursday I offered a bottle and she guzzled it so now back to offering 3 times a day. She looks for it but still with mum. As so tiny I'm only letting her have about 100ml at a time.


Fingers crossed your other lambs thrive.

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Dead lamb !!
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2015, 05:30:40 pm »
 :( Sympathy from me

Red

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Dead lamb !!
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2015, 08:10:53 pm »
Really Sad x
Red

m3joeEm

  • Joined Jan 2015
  • Northern Ireland
Re: Dead lamb !!
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2015, 12:08:37 pm »
Thanks Guys :)

 

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